I stood in the derelict, abanoned hall of mirrors. In front of me lied a corridor with no visible end, the only source of light being the moonlight shining through the cracks in the ceiling. My blindness wasn't exactly helping, either - I could only see the silhouettes of insects running around on the walls and floor, stopping every once in a while to look at me. I felt unwelcome, and let out a shiver.copyright protection14ＰＥＮＡＮＡpHaeZEk8Cq

Distant creaking echoed through the hallway, sending shivers down my spine. I wasn't sure if I should go. Maybe I could go through another way. Access the deeper levels without having to go down that route, which for some reason made me feel an aura of coldness... and soullessness. I could feel that there would be nothing alive down the hallway. Or at least, that I could recognize.copyright protection14ＰＥＮＡＮＡidnGBj3mdP

It just felt empty, yet filled with dread and despair. Even with my poor vision, I could tell that the corridor had seen better days. Not a fancy entrance, but I doubted that where I was going to go was going to be much better.copyright protection14ＰＥＮＡＮＡyrRsSk0rsJ

I let out a sigh and picked up my courage, and started to walk down the corridor, the insects scuttling away. I could feel their eyes staring at my back, making me feel surrounded. The moonlight slowly started to dim, the few stars showing through the cracks being my only real company. My footsteps echoed down the hallway, clashing with the creaking noises. copyright protection14ＰＥＮＡＮＡDSqN6psry4

After a few minutes, I heard childish laughter. Chills ran down my spine, and I adjusted my dual blindfolds. I thought about whether I should run or stay and fight whatever was heading towards me, but it eventually proved fruitless, as something grabbed my legs almost immediately, making me feel as if my heart was going to blow up.copyright protection14ＰＥＮＡＮＡRRifxTzAgN

I looked below me, and could see the white silhouette of a pair of hands, each with eight fingers, scaring me even further. They were coming from a trapdoor that sprung out of nowhere, and I felt stupid for not being able to see it, even with my horrible vision. More childish laughter came from below, before I was pulled into the trapdoor, the darkness quickly surrounding me.copyright protection14ＰＥＮＡＮＡpPfhh7Chy4

I heard something slam shut above my head as I hit my back on the floor. Complete darkness surrounded me, followed by a wave of fear and anxiousness. I heard some footsteps next to me, making me get up and attempt to get into a defensive stance. It was useless, anyway - Combining my blindness with it, the darkness just made me scared.copyright protection14ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0cXqZ3Qsvp

A shy, dim light then appeared somewhat distant from me, followed by more candles, making a circle around me, illuminating a gray, depressing floor made out of stone bricks, vines flowing through the cracks. Ants were running up and down the walls, scuttling along with roaches and some black beetles. copyright protection14ＰＥＮＡＮＡwngOCNIcnY

I turned around, taking deep breaths to calm down, and almost got scared halfway to death. A thin, somewhat short, girl had been standing directly behind me, her bright pink eyes staring directly at my soul. She had two pairs of arms, which were behind her back, as if she was patiently waiting for me to turn around. Either way, I was scared. The poor illumination didn't let me make much out of her details, but her skin was an odd tone of lilac, and her hair had some bangs that somewhat resembled spider legs, going in a straight line before plummeting down.copyright protection14ＰＥＮＡＮＡZNNe54mHmV

She snapped out of her trance, taking a small umbrella from behind her. She sprung it open, before another pair of arms came from underneath her dress - which resembled a cloak more than anything - which had eight spider leg-shaped protrusions sticking out and curving forward, four from the bottom and four from the top. The second pair of hands began to clap wildly, the clapping echoing inside the small space.copyright protection14ＰＥＮＡＮＡMm7JN7NDzi

"My deepest apologies!" She said, oddly cheerful for someone who was apologizing. "I should've taken more care when I pulled you here, but you're safe, right? Anyways, welcome to my shop!"copyright protection14ＰＥＮＡＮＡ36FjVi6Duu

I started to process each and every word she sent me, my head buzzing. I was so confused. After a few seconds of staring at her, dead silence probably making both of us feel really awkward. I shook my head, a headache trying to settle inside my mind. I heard the girl giggle to herself, while covering her face behind her umbrella. Of course, I could only see her silhouette, but it was clear she was finding my suffering at least a bit of fun.copyright protection14ＰＥＮＡＮＡBthpImu44Q

I shook my head, the headache starting to wane away. The confusion was beginning to catch up to me, and I didn't like to think about it, and instead thought that maybe, just maybe, it would be better to not attempt to rationalize what happened, and instead just accept it. A few seconds later, I finally managed to say something, even if it was the most obvious, stupidest question I could've made:copyright protection14ＰＥＮＡＮＡZQd7z0emEO

"I'm sorry, what?" I asked, my voice fading in volume with every word as I realized that was a horrible question. The girl put three of her hands on her hips, her face turning into one of annoyance. She began to spin the umbrella with her remaining hand, as if to calm herself down.copyright protection14ＰＥＮＡＮＡFHUk0PC7t6

"Oh, come on!" She said, irritated. She stomped her foot on the floor, and I could feel her anger building up. Her purple irises began to glow brighter. "I go through all that trouble to follow you and make sure you get into my shop, and that's all you have to say?"copyright protection14ＰＥＮＡＮＡB5zTuigZmk

I scratched my head, feeling somewhat guilty, even though I knew it wasn't my fault. Still, I kept the pressure on:copyright protection14ＰＥＮＡＮＡQma3tK3I7I

"I... I don't quite get it," I continued, adjusting and dusting off my jacket and blindfolds. I thought about putting on my black gloves, as my hand began to ache for some reason. "...What do you even sell?"copyright protection14ＰＥＮＡＮＡwMpr6qhIxK

"Everything, dear!" The girl continued, cheering up. Her eyes began to sparkle, and I couldn't help but feel she saw me as nothing more than dollar signs. She reached into the inside of her umbrella, before handing me a somewhat large piece of paper. I tried to make sense of the words, but I could only see faint white scribbles. "From food to brand-new underwear! The choice's yours!"copyright protection14ＰＥＮＡＮＡP9Qp2kHik3

"...I can't read." I said, somehow being way more blunt than I wanted to. I could feel the girl's expression turn into one of disappointment mixed with annoyance, making me somewhat scared. More than I already was, that is. I doubt I could be blamed, though - I just wanted to venture into the unknown, but I was already being forced to do other things. Not a great start.copyright protection14ＰＥＮＡＮＡDaqNdTyhCF

"What do you mean?" The girl replied, her voice with a glimmer of hope. She put one of her four hands on her hip, two of them being crossed and the last one being relaxed. She looked both curious and interested, although disappointed. "Is it the alphabet? My handwriting, maybe? Don't worry, I know it's awful."copyright protection14ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ9rpAyPShn

"Well, what do you see?" The girl questioned, her eyes gleaming with curiosity. "Can you see my pretty face, at least?"copyright protection14ＰＥＮＡＮＡhwiHkvBSMd

"I see your silhouette," I replied, feeling annoyed. I hated being asked what I could see, because it would just be a massive waste of time and lead to irrelevant questions. I turned my back, preparing to leave, even though I could barely see the outline of the trapdoor. "I'm leaving. Goodbye."copyright protection14ＰＥＮＡＮＡyMmZbXy1PP

"Hey, hey, hey!" The girl replied, and I felt something grab my ankles. I looked down, and I saw two detached hands, some blood following them, holding my ankles tight enough that I could feel my circulation halting. I turned my head, and the girl raised her arms slightly. Her hands were missing, and it took less than a second to put two and two together, making me feel mortified. If that was the kind of thing the Web would have, I was already thinking about giving up. "You can't just leave me like that! So... rude!"copyright protection14ＰＥＮＡＮＡpsWWWsxKFq

I thought about saying something, but the words were stuck in my throat. The girl stomped her foot on the floor, seeming more furious by the minute. She crossed her pair of bloodied, handless arms, with the other pair of hands closing their fists, her veins showing through her skin. Her purple eyes began to glow, angst climbing up my throat.copyright protection14ＰＥＮＡＮＡSXWaEgFf9s

"W-What?" is all I managed to stutter. Her hands clamped my ankles even harder, sending a small shock up my body. She was starting to get on my nerves. Literally.copyright protection14ＰＥＮＡＮＡtHfQHrNftD

"You're blind, yet you want to venture through the Web alone?" The girl shouted, her disembodied hands clutching even harder down my ankles. I could barely feel my feet at this point, and I considered kicking the hands away, but it seems the girl noticed and clasped her hands somehow even harder. "That's ridiculous! And you haven't even introduced yourself yet, and... and...!"copyright protection14ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5S52P2umMa

She let out a groan, her grasp on my ankles finally lightening. She then sighed, her hands releasing from ankles. I looked down, and I could see their silhouettes run back to her, using their fingers as some sort of legs. The sight of a pair of hands running around while dropping blood was somewhat terrifying, yet oddly hilarious. I turned around to face the girl again, the hands crawling up her torso before finally reattaching to her second pair of arms.copyright protection14ＰＥＮＡＮＡME7JOM0u29

"Look, for starters, you're partially blind," the girl said, finally relaxing. I could feel her annoyance fading away, making way for frustation. She crossed her arms, one of the hands detaching to scratch her back. "Secondly, you haven't even introduced yourself! That's... so rude!"copyright protection14ＰＥＮＡＮＡXvQdlxE9N7

"I'm Soleno," I replied, turning my back to her again, noticing a wooden, brittle stepladder hanging against the wall, a tiny sliver of moonlight shining upon the steps. I began to head towards it, before I felt another pair of hands grab my ankles. "... W-What?"copyright protection14ＰＥＮＡＮＡMS0SVPUpcG

"Stop being stupid," she continued, one of her hands climbing up my torso, before grabbing my neck. A third one climbed to the top of my head, before turning it around like a hand opening a bottle, causing my neck to twist. "You can't travel alone. You'll end up like everyone else."copyright protection14ＰＥＮＡＮＡAZlHJauJFw

"What do you m-mean, 'everyone else?'" I coughed, my blindfolds starting to slip out of my head. I was a tad bit annoyed and confused, but I couldn't even move. The girl pressed my neck, as if she was threatening to choke me. copyright protection14ＰＥＮＡＮＡTC2JPnhux4

"... Corrupted." She said bluntly, the word somehow hitting me at full force. Maybe it was the way she said it, but it felt so strong. Like something I couldn't forget. "If you could see properly, then I'd maybe let you go, but..."copyright protection14ＰＥＮＡＮＡBjXBbSr6iE

I didn't reply, and the girl didn't lighten her clutch on my neck. Her hands were starting to stain my clothes with blood, which annoyed me a little, but I wouldn't dare to reply. Her constant mood shifts were so intriguing, yet frightening. Out of a sudden, the courage to reply began to burn from within me, filling me with an odd mix of determination and annoyance.copyright protection14ＰＥＮＡＮＡMSE7Anh46W

"... Why do you care?" I asked, her grasp trembling. That was a bit surprising, making me wonder if that particular question hit a weak point somewhere. She then tightened her clasp slightly, her expression turning into one of anger.copyright protection14ＰＥＮＡＮＡA0zCJp01Tx

"What kind of merchant I'd be if I didn't care about my clients?" She replied, stomping her foot on the floor, turning more and more irritated by the second. I was certain she was lying, and I decided to press on. It felt as if she was taking everything personally, something I was certain of.copyright protection14ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6uR463Wy9f

"Do you care about all your clients like this?" I continued, her hands trembling, before quickly closing and opening them while I was talking, making me feel suffocated. "Or do you care about whatever they bring in?"copyright protection14ＰＥＮＡＮＡcW8Q3IelNl

"W-Why, you..." The girl replied, stomping her foot on the floor more and more. She then, out of nowhere, released her grasp on me, her hands climbing down my body and reattaching back to her arms. She looked at me with a look of someone who got personally offended, and she probably was.copyright protection14ＰＥＮＡＮＡinlR04h16a

I turned around again, only to see her walk towards me, until she was close enough to push me away. And that's exactly what she did, the two pairs coming from underneath her cape-cloak and pushing me with enough strength to make me lose my balance and fall with a loud thud.copyright protection14ＰＥＮＡＮＡzcFqgMudkD

I noticed I had fallen outside her shop, but I was even more confused - after all, the entrance seemed to be on the ceiling. It didn't matter, anyway. I was out of there and it seemed like she wouldn't be any more of a nuisance. At least, not for now.copyright protection14ＰＥＮＡＮＡsxzAoDjCY6

I got up and dusted off my coat, before continuing to head down the hallway, picking up my pace and running as fast as I could. I could hear her voice giggling as I distanced myself from the entrance, shivers climbing down my spine until not even the Moon gave me company, leaving me alone in the darkness. A cold breeze dashed through the corridor, before my body shut itself off and I fainted, overwhelmed.copyright protection14ＰＥＮＡＮＡXhui9unqwu